Sidewalk surfing, NH style

Antrim Can/Am races a hit with skateboarders

ANTRIM - The 10th annual Home and Harvest Festival attracted skateboarders of all ages to the international Antrim Can/Am Hybrid Slalom Championship.

Saturday was the main event of the slalom races, which started Friday and continue today.Qualifying meets were held Saturday because the competition was rained out Friday.

The skateboarders love the slope of Summer Street, which is closed for the races, and they love that they have been invited into the community to hold the competition, organizer and competitor Dave Kirkpatrick of Antrim said Saturday.

Kirkpatrick's daughter, 13-year-old Bailey Kirkpatrick, has been competing in the Antrim Can/Am for the past two years. "I've met skaters from California and Canada, all over," she said.

Quebec skaters Pascal Jean, 38, and Danilo Percich, 51, have been coming since the Antrim Can/Am started eight years ago.

"I've been with this since Day 1 'cause it's fun. The people are great. It's wonderful for us," Percich said.

"The course is very good and it's very fun to do. It's a very fun race," said Hubert Roy, 14, of Quebec, who has been competing at it for the past two years.

"This is what I did as kid. I grew up skateboarding," said pediatrician Dan Parish, 46, of Holyoke, Mass., who said he is glad to have learned in the past few years that you're never too old for skateboarding. "It's been fun. It's camaraderie. It's friendship. It's exercise."